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Peer social support as a moderator of child abuse risk and child internalizing symtomatology

Year: 2013
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Literature has identified a significant relation between maternal physical abuse risk on child internalizing symptomatology during middle childhood. Further, positive peer relationships have also been noted to play a significant role in promoting prosocial behaviors and buffering stressful events during this age. However, little research has examined the potential moderation of peers on the relation between negative parenting and abuse risk on child internalizing symptomatology. The current study examined the buffering role of perceptions of peer support and social competence on the relation between abuse risk and child internalizing behaviors in a high abuse risk sample. Participants consisted of 43 mother-child dyads from a mental health population in which either the mother or child was receiving clinical services. It was hypothesized that greater parental abuse risk would be related to greater internalizing problems as reported by both parents and children. Further, greater perceptions of peer support and social competence were predicted to relate to both lower reports of internalizing problems as well as lower reports of abuse risk. Lastly, perceptions of peer support and social competence were expected to buffer the relation of negative parenting and abuse risk with child internalizing behaviors and act as a protective mechanism. Overall, partial support for hypotheses was noted and findings differed based on reporter. A significant interaction was not observed between perceptions of peer support or social competence and the relation between abuse risk and child internalizing problems, with either child-report or parent-report, thereby not identifying a moderating role for perceived peer support.
Language: English
Field: Psychology
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1496508322
FWCI:
Cites: 90
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Related to: 10